Written by: Vickie Sullivan | July 21, 2020
How to Avoid Silly Debates on Social Media
We all want to believe that we are fair minded — that we take in all sides of an issue before we share our perspective. Well, heads up: extremists have weaponized that “see both sides” stance.
In the name of “fairness,” people will ask you to comment on and share articles of ill repute on your social media pages. If you don’t agree, they accuse you of being one-sided. Due to the massive disinformation campaign playing across all social media platforms, it’s also easy to get sucked into debates about long-debunked theories.
2 ways to avoid silly debates on social media
Here are two common scenarios where people will try to suck you in and your best response:
• “Do your research.”— Many people equate fairness with the inclusion of their favorite alt-right or alt-left sources. The inference: If you don’t consider these ideas to be legitimate, your perspective is skewed. The best response: Explain your methodology. For example, you could say, “I don’t include sources that traffic conspiracy theories from either side.” Or you could say, “You can list your source and let folks decide for themselves.”
• “Here, read/watch this.” — Many folks will use your social media newsfeed to spread conspiracy theories and debunked claims. (Yeah, I’m talking about those YouTube videos.) They usually do this for two reasons: 1) to justify their opinion or 2) to troll you. If it’s the former, respond with a rating from an independent bias measurement. Don’t respond to their opinion. Be respectful. If you think they are trolling you, delete the post and say why. This will let your community know how you respond to outsiders who disrespect.
Listen: How to Spot the Zealots
The key is to be discerning. You want to include different perspectives on your social media pages, but you don’t want to take the bait from those who want to endlessly argue. You don’t want to legitimize the lunatic fringe by equating credibility.
This dynamic isn’t going away soon. It’s your feed, so you call the shots. Make sure your newsfeed and comments section reflect your brand and platform.
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